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How Can I Make My Computer Faster for Free?

By on November 26, 2012

"How can I make my computer faster for free?"

If you have a machine that's several years old, or sees a lot of use for various projects and tasks, then it's probably something you'll ask yourself at one point or another.

Fortunately, there are a number of different things that can be done to speed up your PC or your Mac in order to get it back to kind of speeds you want.

And we'll explore some of those methods in this blog post.

So keep reading to learn more, and hopefully you'll find an answer to the question of "how can I make my computer faster for free."

Do you already know what you need and want to get started right away?

Then pick up your phone and call us at 410-579-4508.

You can also contact us by clicking here and one of our representatives will be in touch

7 Easy Tips To Speed Up Your Computer

Before you can fix a slow computer, it helps to know just what you're dealing with.

Because computers are so complex, there could be a variety of causes behind the problems you're experiencing.

Fortunately, when it comes to fixing many of those issues, it's usually a matter of time and know-how as opposed to money.

If you're wondering how to make your PC run faster for free, here are some of the things you can do:

  1. Check for and Get Rid of Any Malicious Software – Rogue programs like viruses, worms, and other such software not only threaten your sensitive information, they slow your computer down as well.
    Windows users can benefit by downloading Microsoft Security Essentials, which is a free program that will scan for, detect, and delete any malicious programs running on your machine that you might not know about.
  2. Make Sure You Have Everything You Need and Nothing You Don't – With as much as we do through our computers, it's not hard to imagine how so much data accumulates over time.When asking how can I make my computer faster for free, what you might not realize is that those files might be slowing your machine down with their sheer volume.
    If you are a PC user, this means that you'll want to run a disk cleanup that can find those programs you aren't using and get rid of them for you. As a Mac user, this means that you will need to occasionally look through your Applications folder and get rid of whatever you don't use. You can also use a third party uninstaller like AppZapper to get rid of what you don't use anymore.
  3. Check the Recycle Bin – It's not something that many PC users think about, but it's fairly important to carry out. On Windows PC, deleting a program or file from your computer's hard drive moves it to the recycle bin, rather than deleting it from the machine. Make sure you regularly empty that bin so that the hard drive space those files and programs took up and truly freed up.
  4. Defragment Your Drives – Over time, files on your hard drive can become fragmented. When that happens, it takes longer to access the information you want.Every so often, you will want to run a disk defragmenter on your PC to clean up some of that fragmentation and get your files back to the way they should be.
    For Mac users, defragmentation isn't usually needed because of the way OS X writes to the hard drive, so it isn't something you will need to worry about if you have an Apple computer.
  5. Clear Out Browser Cookies – Many Mac and PC users asking “how can I make my computer faster for free” don't realize that there are times when the internet browser is the reason the computer is running slowly.When you visit a website, it stores cookies on your system. These small files make it so that sites you visit repeatedly load faster, but enough cookies over time can slow a computer down.
    Each browser has its own settings for deleting cookies, so you will need to check your own to find out how to do it. Once you do, however, you should notice your browsers loading much faster.
  6. Make Sure the Hardware Is Up to the Task – This applies to PCs just as much as it does to Macs. Sometimes, the problem with your machine lies in the fact that your needs are too demanding for the hardware you have.
    In many cases of hardware, speeding up your hard drive is a matter of making sure you have the right amount of random access memory (RAM), but other times might call for a bigger hard drive to accommodate your files.
  7. Streamline the Startup – Computer users in both camps might not know about the number of programs that run when they start their computers, but those can have a huge impact on the machine's influence.
    If you are on a PC, then you will need to look at how to change your startup programs for your particular version, while Mac users can go to System Preferences, click on Accounts, and click on Login Items to change what starts when the computer does.

Macs and PCs alike need to be maintained, so whether you need to speed up a slow laptop or desktop, these are some of the steps you can follow when asking how can I make my computer faster for free.

By doing so, you can ensure that your computer will run as efficiently as you need it to.

Speed Up My Computer with a Free Consultation

If you need to speed up your computer, then there's no better way to find out just how you can make that happen than consulting the professionals here at DSR Inc.

As experts in IT and computer hardware, we know what to look for and how to provide you with a concrete answer when you ask how can I make my computer faster for free. So call us today by dialing (410) 579-4508 or click here to contact us online and let us know just what we can do for you.

 

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Topics: Computer Repair

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